Yayoi Miyabi
Perhaps Yayoi's biggest strength would be her ability to sew well. Even without practicing (which she does religiously anyway) she can sew practically any design she wants simply by guessing how the pattern would go. After reading fashion magazines she modifies the images into her own style to make her own clothes. Unfortunately this style always seems to be Gothic Lolita. She also sews teddy bears to donate to the children's ward at the hospital, basing the stuffed animals’ designs off of the ones that she buys for her own collection in stores.Another major strength is her acceptance of things that come her way. She has no problem accepting that ghosts are real, or that there are people with unbelievably strong supernatural gifts. She also had little trouble accepting her own demise or the trial that the Elders gave to her to complete. There are a few things that are harder for her to accept though, such as how her clothing style leaves a lot to be desired and also that her powers were stripped. Naiveté and ignorance have always been qualities that Yayoi possessed. So much so that they are what ended up getting her killed. Now that she is back in the world of the living they have become even worse as well. For instance, her mannerisms and way of speaking are very outdated and she doesn’t understand that the world has become a much more dangerous place. Her trusting nature has her believing almost anything anyone says without question as well. The main issue now though is that she became so unused to breathing after dying that now she sometimes forgets that she has to breathe again in order to stay conscious. This has resulted in her passing out on more than one occasion since coming back to life. Both alive and as an angel Yayoi possessed a passive nature that made her have an extreme dislike of fighting. Because of this she has never learned how to protect herself. She has little physical strength and her stamina is about average. Though her dislike has not extended to a point where she actually tries to interfere with the fights of others. She is also not particularly fast, and her reflexes aren’t the best, which has resulted in her getting hit in the face with balls while in physical education, among other things. However, she always makes sure that she doesn’t get angry with whoever hit her because she believes (perhaps naively at times) that it was done by accident. History Yayoi was born to average parents, grew up in an average household, and went to an average school. Her father worked at the bank as a teller. A job that offered next to no career advancement opportunities, but brought in a steady paycheck that supported their family. Her mother was a simple homemaker, typical of the times, who kept their small apartment immaculate and did all of the cooking. Yayoi grew up knowing that when she finished school she would marry and take on the role of wife, and later mother; a role that she had absolutely no problem with, though many of the girls she knew loathed the idea of settling down and becoming baby makers for their husbands. That seemed so far off though that Yayoi didn’t see the point in thinking too far in advance. She liked to live in the moment, and that seemed to work for her. That is, until the day when she was stopped on the street late at night on her way home from the store at the end of their block. The man had seemed nice enough at first, telling her that it was dangerous for a girl to be walking home alone that late. After another moment though he drew a gun and demanded that she handed over all of her money. Not fully understanding the danger she was in she tried to argue that she needed to give what was left to her mother along with the groceries. Unfortunately her refusal allowed a nearby spectator to notice the thief and call the police. As soon as the robber heard the siren he panicked and in his haste to get away shot Yayoi, killing her instantly. When she awoke she found herself floating in the clouds in front of huge white gates. She was soon permitted to pass through the gates after a man came and asked her many questions; some of which she had no clue how to answer. The man explained that he was a Guardian of the Gates and that it was his duty to bring new arrivals into the pearly city of Heaven after deeming them worthy. Although she was a bit curious, sense told Yayoi that it would not be wise to ask what would have happened if she had not been worthy. The Guardian proceeded to guide her to another ethereal being—a woman dressed all in white with silvery wings growing from her back. This woman—Tetsuko, she soon learned—was the angel responsible for assisting young Japanese women with their new existence. Tetsuko was very kind and treated Yayoi like a daughter, so the girl liked her almost instantly. She explained that Yayoi had died during the robber’s escape and that Yayoi was now an angel, like her. Much to the girl’s confusion the elder woman seemed almost surprised – baffled really – when she accepted her fate so quickly. Although Yayoi was actually upset that she had died before she got the chance to live, she couldn’t blame the man who had killed her. She truly believed that her death was an accident, and knowing that he had killed her would make him very guilty. When she told this to Tetsuko she wondered why the older woman shook her head and smiled sadly. After asking a few questions about what she was to do now she was told that now she was free from the constraints that living had placed on her. She no longer needed to breathe, or eat, or even sleep. At first Yayoi found herself attempting to do all three out of habit, though eventually she managed to adjust to how different it was. The most startling discovery for her was that she could no longer dream when asleep. Although she was disappointed because she enjoyed her dreams, she also found that she sort of liked the peacefulness that came without dreams. Daily life was simple for her. She got up, explored the area while testing out the new powers that she had somehow acquired after dying, learned how to control the powers, and met many other angels. She made some good friends, though many teased her because she was so naïve about so many things. But that didn’t bother her too much since it just reminded her of her old life. On occasion she would visit Tetsuko and look through a mirror the Elder had and be able to see her parents. It was the one connection she had with them, and though she wasn’t permitted to use it as much as she liked, she cherished those times that she could check up on them and make sure that they were doing alright. Time passed and neither her appearance nor her personality changed. Yayoi was no longer sure of how much time had passed as after a while time meant almost nothing to anyone in Heaven. Why would it, when one lived for all eternity should they choose to not move onto a new life? One day she was called before the Council of Elders, who were concerned with the fact that she had not yet grown wings. One of the elders suggested that perhaps her lack of wings meant that she didn’t really belong in Heaven. Fearing what may happen if that line of thought continued, Tetsuko brought up the possibility that Yayoi was one of the angels that needed to be given a trial before they could grow their wings. After much debate the others agreed that they would test her, and if she passed and grew wings she could stay in Heaven. But if she didn’t, then she would have to move on and be reborn. The test though was something that hadn’t been done in centuries: Yayoi was to be stripped of her powers, made mortal, and sent back to Earth. Her task would be to live in Tokyo for a year, in which time she had to help earthbound spirits trapped on the human plane find peace. However though they allowed her to keep a few basic abilities, the Elders would not make the task easy for her. They gave her the ability to sense spirits but not to see or hear them. Before she was to be sent back to Earth, Yayoi was approached by Tetsuko. Tetsuko asked if the girl would rather just move on to the next life, as she believed that the task would be impossible for her to complete. Saddened that her mentor and mother-figure would have such a lack of faith in her, Yayoi stubbornly shook her head and said that she wanted to try. If she failed, then she would move on. But she wanted to at least try. Reluctantly the elder relented, and the next day Yayoi was sent back to Tokyo, reborn and given a whole new life. No longer was she Yayoi Yoshiba. Now she had to be Yayoi Miyabi, transfer student from Osaka. A bit odd, considering she didn’t possess a Kansai accent, but as that was what had been decided for her, she didn’t dare mention that discrepancy. Plot Coming Soon! Relationships Coming Soon! Powers & Abilities Spirit Sensing One of the few powers that weren't stripped from her, spirit sensing is just as the name suggests. Although she is incapable of hearing or seeing spirits, or ghosts, she is able to sense their presence. In actuality this is a lot more common of an ability then it may seem as the only thing that happens is she feels a prick of energy in the air and may feel a chill as well. Ventriloquism Though not a power, per se, Yayoi is able to use ventriloquism with her bear "Ne-Ne". Because she doesn't move her lips when she has the bear speak it can be quite unnerving for some people unless they know what she is doing. She mainly uses this ability for the entertainment of little children however. Literary Manipulation An odd power that the Elders didn't bother to strip from her. One of the manipulations she can perform are levitating books, a task that she seldom does because it takes up more energy then she likes to use up. Another manipulation is called "Tabula rasa". When using this ability she is able to actually steal the words off of a page in a book, or by using more energy, steal all of the text out of a book, leaving it completely blank. Trivia *Yayoi likes sewing. *Collecting teddy bears that she deems cute. *Reading fashion magazines. *Putting on ventriloquist shows for kids. *Watching old horror movies. Also See *Angels